Senior shows Triangle who is boss

A double hundred from Steve Senior helped Booth crush visitors Triangle by 269 runs and extend their lead at the top of the Spencer Wilson Halifax League to eight points.

Senior, a mid-season capture from Mytholmroyd, knocked the stuffing out of one-time title contenders Triangle by flaying an incredible 16 sixes.

His second century came up in only 35 balls and helped Booth post 373 for four with Richard Laycock (75) joining the assault.

Triangle, who had inflicted Booth’s only league defeat of the season in the first meeting, mustered only 104 in reply with Jack Gledhill (41) and Nathan Madden (31) preventing an even heavier defeat.

Warley, just one point behind Booth at the start of play, lost by four wickets at Thornton where Josh Hutchinson was the hosts’ star man.

Matthew Whitworth, Graham Kinsey and Greg Keywood all made it past the 50-mark before being out as Warley totalled 221 for eight.

Hutchinson followed up his four for 87 with an unbeaten 64 as the Hill Top Road team won with four wickets and four overs to spare.

Jer Lane, who have beaten the July 31 transfer deadline to sign batsmen Raqeeb Younas and Ian Hall in their push for a fourth successive title, went second with a 70-run home win over Sowerby St Peters.

Visiting bowler Martin Schofield stole the show in the first half, bowling through at one end and taking seven for 80 as Lane laboured to 165 for nine with skipper Mick Hustler’s 38 the top score.

Sowerby were looking good at 48 for one but Saeed Mirza (5-15) and Simon Collins (3-19) slowly worked their way through the order and the visitors were all out for 95.

Bottom two Blackley and Northowram Hedge Top both won to raise concerns for the sides immediately above them who must have thought they were out of harm’s way.

Recent capture Paul Winrow showed his quality as Blackley made it back-to-back wins with a 69-run success over Sowerby Bridge at Stainland.

Winrow, who has spend his career playing at a higher level, fell one short of a century in Blackley’s 184 for eight, Sam Mellor claiming half of the wickets to fall.

He needed support from Macauley Shiel (58 no), who was the only other player to score more than 10 for the visitors.

Winrow then took four for 26 to polish off the Bridge innings for 115.

Northowram cut the gap between themselves and third-from-bottom visitors Copley to seven points with a comfortable 35-run success at Hedge Top Lane.

Their prospects looked bleak at 58 for five but Razwan Saghir has hit form with a vengeance and he added 67 while Tom Clee (48) and James Fearnley (39) helped lift the total to 224, Ian Hartley taking five for 50.

Chris Dennison (48) helped Copley to 63 without loss but then the wheels came off and from 71 for four the Parish Cup finalists were always up against it, finishing on 189 for eight.

Mytholmroyd took maximum points for the third game running, helped by good knocks from skipper Tom Earle (125) and Jacob Travis (52) in a 39-run home win over SBCI.

Royd made 253 for eight and although George Hampshire (76) and Chris Dalby (82) helped SBCI to 163 for two, wickets tumbled to James Cowens (five for 57) and SBCI were all out for 214.

It was an excellent day for Queensbury, who took over the top spot in Division One with a convincing victory over the previous leaders at Oxenhope.

Middle order men Azhar Sharif and Scott Osborne hit half-centuries to help the visitors to 230 for eight, Scott Mallinson and Duncan Tetley taking four and three wickets respectively.

Oxenhope’s batsmen, like many before them, were then unable to come to terms with spinners Gurdev Singh and Amjad Ali who took five wickets each to dismiss the home team for 116, the only contributions of note coming from Tom Mawer (31) and Joe Ousey (36).

Queensbury were further cheered defeats for another two promotion contenders, Great Horton PC and Bridgeholme.

Great Horton lost at bottom team Low Moor while Bridgeholme were well beaten at Southowram.

James Overend hit 92 in Low Moor’s 213 for nine, Matthew Jordan accounting for four of his teammates.

In reply, Amaar Syed and Matthew Jordan made 42 apiece for Great Horton but Robert Dowling and Matthew Haley took three wickets apiece to give Moor a 13-run success.

Southowram rattled up 265 for three with 130 not out from Jason Wilkinson.

The opener’s tally proved far more than the whole Bridgeholme team could manage. The Eastwood side were all out for 100 with Tom Belfield adding five for 27 to his earlier 52.

Jack Hembleys’ 22 over spell, which yielded seven for 92, proved in vain for Old Crossleyans at next-to-bottom Stones.

The Ripponden side made 183 thanks to a strong rearguard effort after being 66 for seven.

The brittleness of Crocs’ batting order was apparent again as they made only 110 in reply, opening bowlers Ethan Pollard and Jack Westerby taking four inexpensive wickets apiece.

Denholme Clough have stormed into a 16 point lead at the top of Division Two after beating visitors Cullingworth by 67 runs in the top of the table match.

Phil Poole and Ben Burkill took five wickets each to leave the visitors fairly happy at tea, Clough have had to settle for 159.

However, Cullingworth were rolled over for 92 with Waqas Ali (4-31) and Israh Akram (4-40) the home match winners.

Jack Ryan’s five wickets were to no avail for Bradshaw in a close contest at Clayton, which the hosts won by 16 runs.

Outlane openers Chris Brook (126 no) and Alex Blagborough (72) took a grip on proceedings at Greetland, helping the visitors to 314 for seven with Irshad Akbor (4-41) making late inroads.

Four-wicket Toby Croft helped dismiss Greetland for 84.

Upper Hopton’s journey to Hebden Bridge yielded 12 points from a six wicket victory over Old Town, Ian Wightman (71) being the star performer. Saj Mahmood made 47 in the hosts’ inadequate 143 all out.

Shelf easily won the mid-table contest at home to Luddenden Foot.

Tom Hosker took four wickets and hit 40 for Foot but Shelf produced the better all-round effort, spearheaded by Alex O’Keefe (45), for a 76-run success